Hello Fresno residents! Your overall oral health depends not only on healthy teeth but also healthy gums. Proper oral hygiene helps keep both your teeth and gums in good shape.

When brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle with the bristle tips aimed at the line where the tooth and gum meet. The bristles of a soft toothbrush can clean the food particles in the pockets in front and in back of the tooth, but you need floss to clean between the teeth. Make sure you get the floss into the pocket between the teeth and scrape food particles up and out of the pocket.

Back to toothbrushing: if the toothbrush is not held at the correct angle, the bristles can’t get in the pockets to clean out the bacteria before it turns into enamel-damaging plaque. If plaque multiplies in the pockets around the teeth, the gum will start pulling away. Eventually, the pockets will become too deep for your toothbrush bristles to reach. Unfortunately, the tooth structure below the gumline is more susceptible to decay than the enamel above the gumline.

There is more than one way to damage your teeth – even if the visible parts of your teeth are cavity-free, gum disease can cause problems with the parts you can’t see.

I am Dr. Art Mirelez of Mirelez Wellness Dental. My staff and I promote preventative dentistry by working with our patients of all ages to establish essential oral hygiene habits.If you haven’t had a check-up in a while, or are experiencing gum soreness or recession, call Mirelez Wellness Dental today at 559-435-3113 to schedule a thorough tooth and gum examination in Fresno.